Richard Gaillardetz creatively draws on the deep wisdom of our Christian tradition while reflecting on the lived experience of marriage. Chapter 1: The Shape of Christian Spirituality; Chapter 2: Marriage and the Life of Communion; Chapter 3: Marriage and Conversion; Chapter 4: Marriage and Sexuality; Chapter 5: Marriage and Parenthood.

As John XXIII said, the Catholic Church is not a museum filled with artifacts but rather "a flourishing garden of life" that moves ever forward into the future. This profound vision led him to convene a new ecumenical council, the first in almost a century. Now, just over 50 years after the Second Vatican Council, Catholics are still fully realizing that council's bold vision for the church.